Irene Cara Escalera was a singer, actress and songwriter, who was most famous for recording the title song to the movie “Fame.” Cara was born on March 18, 1959 in the Bronx section of New York City, New York. Her mother, Louise Escalera, was of … Read MoreIrene Cara Escalera (1959-2022)
The history of West Indian immigration can be traced back to the 17th century when enslaved Africans from Barbados, Jamaica, and Antigua were brought to the British North American colonies to work on plantations. The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) sparked another wave of immigration with thousands … Read MoreWest Indian Immigration to the United States (1900- )
Physician, concert pianist, and conductor, Adele Darlene Allen was born March 19, 1953, in Brooklyn, New York, to Oscar Clement Allen, a physician from Baltimore, Maryland, and Hattie Lawson Allen, a registered nurse, high school administrator, author from Danville, Virginia. She has one sister, Carol … Read MoreAdele Darlene Allen (1953- )
Choreographer, dancer, artistic director and LGBTQ community activist Alexander Emanuel Simon was born on November 27, 1980, in Christiansted, United States Virgin Islands, to Rufus Emanuel Simon from Basseterre which is part of the Caribbean Island federation of Nevis St. Kitts, and Martha Maria Santiago … Read MoreAlexander Emanuel Simon (1980- )
Quiet Fire, a reggae, Latin jazz, and R&B ensemble which emerged as one of the premier groups in the U.S. Virgin Islands, was founded by teenagers attending Croix Central High and St. Joseph’s Catholic high schools on St. Croix Island. They began as the Soul … Read MoreQuiet Fire (1967-2021)
Pamela Ashley Uba is a scientist and model and the first black woman to be crowned Miss Ireland in that nation’s competition. Uba was born in Anambra State, Nigeria in 1995 to Nigerian parents. Her Igbo name is Onyebuchi. The Uba family business fell apart, … Read MorePamela Uba (1995- )
Virtuoso technician Classical, jazz, composer Nestor Miguel Torres was born on April 25, 1957, in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, to Nestor Torres Sr., pianist and vibraphone, and Ana E. Salcedo Baldovino-Torres. His first percussion and piano teacher was his father. However, Torres, skipping two grades, began … Read MoreNestor Torres (1957- )
Established in 1966 as the Friends of Distinction, this California pop/soul sound R&B vocal quartet added a new dimension to the sound of African American contemporary music. They first thought to name the group, Distinctive Friends, but one of the members reversed the words. The … Read MoreFriends of Distinction (1966-1996)
Concert Pianist, composer, conductor, pedagogic Nelson Hall was born on February 11, 1954, in Marianao, Cuba, to Selvin Hall, a choral conductor from Manzanillo, Cuba, and Elsa Fortun Hall from Placetas, Cuba. He has two siblings, Merari and David. Hall, an intelligent artistically child, began … Read MoreNelson Hall (1954- )
Arthur O. Eve was the longest serving member of the New York State Assembly, serving from 1967 until his retirement in 2002. He was also the first Dominican American to be elected to public office in the United States. As deputy speaker of the Assembly … Read MoreArthur O. Eve (1933- )
